the success of a GM is so dependent on factors out of their control. what's the market size you're dealing with? will ownership agree to certain moves? will ownership foot the bill to retain talent? will free agent classes yield enough talent to go around the league? will draft classes be deep and wide? good timing obviously has a lot to do with it, too. when lebron james becomes a free agent, for example, are you prepared to make a pitch?
then there are the factors that a GM can control. have you managed salary well? if not, lebron james becomes just another pipe dream. how do you perform in strong drafts? in weak drafts? how willing are you to think outside the box? when do you recognize that a tried and true formula is more appropriate? a GM that drafts dwight howard looks like a genius until he fails to successfully build around dwight howard. a GM that drafts greg oden looks like a genius until greg oden scrubs out of the league due to injury. it's a difficult evaluative process, to determine the worth of a GM...
that said, chris wallace's track record is equal parts impressive and unimpressive. he managed to build a defensive juggernaut that consistently makes the playoffs in a small market with cheap owners. there's something to be said for that. however, his draft history, on the whole, is questionable, as are his transactions via trade. though, as with geoff petrie, fans do have to consider the directives of ownership. was chris wallace given the reigns to operate? or did he have to do the best he could with what he had to work with? i'd say that wallace did a lot more with less in memphis than petrie managed to accomplish with less in sacramento. so i'd be willing to give wallace a fair shot. but, if i'm vivek ranadive, i certainly consider other available options at the GM position...
it all depends on what ranadive's vision is for the team. we're hearing a lot of rumors lately that ranadive has repeatedly reached out to demarcus cousins already. he appears to recognize what many of us recognize: DMC is a special talent that can take this team far. my guess is that chris wallace feels the same way, that the kings should be built around demarcus cousins, which is likely why ranadive considers him a front runner. i imagine that any GM who doesn't feel the same way about cousins won't be getting the job...
